Stepping Up Past Expectation
by 8ami
Summary: Three weeks after Barry's funeral Wally takes up the Flash mantel with Iris' pushing. Follows my 'Aftermath' story line, but can be read alone.
1. Three Weeks

**Title**: Stepping Up Past Expectation.  
><strong>Chapter<strong>: One. _Three Weeks_.  
><strong>Word Count<strong>: 1,192  
><strong>Pairings<strong>: None.  
><strong>Summary<strong>: Three weeks after Barry's funeral Wally takes up the Flash mental with Iris' pushing.

* * *

><p>It's been three weeks. Three weeks, twenty-one days, five hundred and four hours, thirty thousand two hundred and forty seconds, one million eight hundred fourteen thousand four hundred seconds.<p>

Wally West lived in seconds but he wished he lived in weeks because it's been three weeks since they buried his uncle. The hours seemed to drag on, ever minute being hit by the fact his uncle was dead. Sometimes he wonders if he didn't live seconds if things would hurt this bad? If he'd be reminded this often of his death? Sometimes he wished time wasn't so slow.

It's only been three weeks and Wally is pushing himself to stand on his own two feet again.

He's going onto patrol today but not as Kid Flash.

He's been talking with his aunt lately and they both agree that Central needs a Flash. That the heroes that the League has been sending in to help with the Rogues aren't doing a proper job. The Rogues are use to fighting speed-demons and these slow pokes the League are sending in just aren't cutting it. They're causing more damage with the battles than the Rogues are doing on their own.

Wally knows the League is just waiting for him to pull himself together. They want him to take up the Flash mantle even with how slow he is. They want to hide the fact that the second Flash died. It's evident in the fact that when news reporters ask the League about the Flash's absent and the surprising amount of Leaguers in the Twin Cities they simply answer that the Flash is away on a cross-galaxy mission.

It kills Wally every time he hears that. He understands it. He understands what the death of a Leaguer can be seen as, how it would invite villains into the city but it was killing him. As if they thought they could just wipe away Uncle Barry's Legacy as the Flash.

It kills Wally but it brakes Iris because she understands too. And Wally would do anything to make the smile on his aunt's lips to reach her eyes again.

They understand, even agree with their tactic but Wally has other plans and Iris just wants everything her husband worked for not to perish. Barry worked day and night to protect this city and he loved every minute of it. Iris smiles when Wally enters her house and Wally is almost fooled into thinking there is something in her eyes this time. Almost.

He's been staying over at her house more often than not so that she's not alone, so he isn't alone, but had gone home last night to tell his parent's what he's planning on doing. They don't agree but understand they simply don't understand. They also know that Wally is eighteen today; they can't stop him.

Iris spent all night altering one of Barry's costumes to fit Wally's lanky form. While he's the same height as her husband now Wally is still rather lean. She hands him the costume gingerly and he takes it with the same care before walking up the stairs to the spare bedroom which he uses when he stays. Iris doesn't follow, in fact she leaves to go to work unable to stay now that she's handed over the precious reminder of Barry. She's gone with a few tears and on the TV without a smile but clear eyes twenty minutes later.

Wally takes those twenty minutes and more to put on the suit. He doesn't use his speed. He can't. Memories wash over him as he removes his clothes. Memories pound into him as he slips his legs into suit. He takes his time soaking in those memories, those dreams of his uncle. He's crying by the time he slips on the shoes. When he draws the cowl up five minutes later his eyes are clearer than they've been in a long time. Determination shines. He'll be everything he can be and more just to live up to his uncle's shadow. He'll continue pushing himself even when he's at the brink because the city deserves a hero, Barry deserves a successor, Iris deserves peace and Wally deserves a restful night sleep.

A deep breath and then Wally is moving. And he hasn't moved like this since Zoom killed Barry. He hasn't even thought about moving like this again since the funeral where Iris realizes the city needs a hero, a proper hero as she watches a few of the civvies dressed Leaguers disappear to attend to Mirror Master running around downtown.

He doesn't even have to think to move this fast, it's all muscle memory. He doesn't but he does because he'd rather think of moving than the pain this is bringing up.

The city is a lit with excitement to have their hero back and it shows on their faces as he passes them. They don't even notice he's not Barry.

Twenty minutes in and Captain Cold shows up. It takes Wally three minutes to get invested into the battle and Cold might have noticed something was up if Wally didn't sock him in the mouth just then.

There is ice all along the street and up one side of the building to Wally's left. Cold is looking up at Flash as if he's never seen him disarmed with the city's police coming in to take him away, but Wally isn't looking at Leonardo. He's frozen to the spot looking past Cold to see himself reflected in the ice.

He looks like the Flash. He can't even tell he's smaller than Uncle Barry.

A police lieutenant walks up past his men taking Cold away and places a hand on Flash's shoulder. Wally tares his eyes away and looks at the smiling man. "Good to have you back, Flash."

Wally can't force himself to smile, his brow still furrowed he simply nods. The lieutenant seems surprised but doesn't say anything or rather he doesn't get a chance to because a voice catches Wally's attention and he simply isn't there anymore.

There are two news stations covering Cold's latest attempt one is Iris West and the other is a woman Wally knows as Justine Walker. Iris looks back to see the man in red. When their eyes catch she goes silent mid-sentence and he knows why.

He really does look like Flash. He looks like Barry.

And for that moment Iris almost forgets her husband is dead. For that moment Iris isn't hurting. But then she remembers and it hurts all over again. When did Wally - oh, when did the Flash get that close to her?

"Iris." Wally whispers as he wraps her arms around the falling woman in front of the cameras. He'll need those in a moment, but Iris comes first. She'll always come first. Barry always put her first.


	2. Robin's Standing

**Title**: Stepping Up Past Expectation.  
><strong>Chapter<strong>: Two. _Robin_.  
><strong>Word Count<strong>: 618  
><strong>Pairings<strong>: None.  
><strong>Summary<strong>: Three weeks after Barry's funeral Wally takes up the Flash mental with Iris' pushing.

* * *

><p>Dick Grayson or rather Robin is sitting in the Batcave with the news channels across the nation up on the monitor while he waits for Bruce to finish up the meeting upstairs and come down for patrol.<p>

He really needs Bruce to hurry up. He really needs a distraction. It was his best friend's birthday today the same best friend that lost his uncle three weeks ago. He's more than worried.

Since Barry's death Wally has only talked to Dick once other than the funeral and that was twenty minute phone call two days after the funeral filled with a lot of apologizes, hateful words, and crying. Two days ago Dick heard from M'gann that Wally contacted Kuldar saying he'd need more time before returning to the team though no one expected him to come back so soon. It's only been three weeks. Then again, Dick thought, how long was that for a speedster?

Wally hasn't really talked to anyone outside of his family, never picking up his phone when they call. With Wally's birthday approaching, Dick had planned on going to see the boy but was stopped by Bruce. "He's grieving, Dick. He won't want to celebrate." He didn't buy it but figured he'd respect Wally's decision to be alone with family for now.

For now.

Dick was worried and it was for this reason that lost in thought his eyes traveled to the two news channels for Central City near the middle of the screen. When his mind finally caught up to what he was seeing, his jaw dropped to the floor.

There was the Flash fighting Captain Cold. Was this a repeat of some kind? Dick pulled the channel up to the full scale covering all other channels and letting the sound run.

_"Here you have it, Jon, the return of the Flash from his space travels for the League. Almost a month without the speedster and it looks like Captain Cold has slowed his game a bit."_ The woman spoke was Justine Walker. Dick split the screen to pull up the other Central News Station.

Iris West-Allen stood. _"I bring the return of the Flash, mid battle with Captain Cold."_ Dick doesn't see tears in her eyes but can hear them in her voice. Unlike Justine who is torn between watching the battle and looking into the camera, Iris stays focus looking away from the Flash. And Dick knows instantly why, because that isn't her husband.

Wally West is fighting Captain Cold in _Flash's costume_.

Dick is captive by the fight, watching as Wally seems to pull himself together minutes within the battle and takes Cold down. He can't believe what he's seeing and he'll admit he's waiting for Wally to crack.

Wally has always worn his heart on his sleeve. It what makes him such a great person. It also is what makes him so open to getting hurt. And the death of his uncle, his hero is something Dick thought would seriously break his friend.

But he doesn't.

In fact, he defeats Cold with little problem. He's living up to the mantle he's wearing and Dick realizes that Wally is stronger than Dick really believed. That after all these years of their friendship Wally can still surprise him. A man comes up to congrats him as Wally should and both news reporters identify the man as a lieutenant in the Central PD. Dick is still waiting though. It's not over yet.

But Wally still doesn't. Iris does.


	3. Roy's Standing

**Title**: Stepping Up Past Expectation.  
><strong>Chapter<strong>: Three. _Roy_.  
><strong>Word Count<strong>: 710  
><strong>Pairings<strong>: None.  
><strong>Summary<strong>: Three weeks after Barry's funeral Wally takes up the Flash mental with Iris' pushing.

* * *

><p>Roy A.K.A Red Arrow has just finished a fight with a few punks that thought they could take the young hero. The police is on their way. Roy pauses in his steps to disappear before the men in blue show up to answer his phone. It's Robin's ring tone.<p>

Robin doesn't even give Roy a chance to say anything. "Get to a TV. Central News station 5. Wally is on there as the Flash." Roy darts into a run out of the alley way just as a patrol car comes up. He actually has to jump the car and he's pretty sure he's scared the cop shitless as he slammed on his breaks.

Roy doesn't care. He's trying to think of a place with a TV near him. His apartment is across town. A sports bar comes into his line of sight as he turns a corner and without pause he darts inside.

There are several TVs within the open room all set to different sport channels. He pays the flustered hostess no mind as he goes up to the bar tender. "I need the remote to one of these TVs." It is most differently an order.

The bar tender doesn't do any better at speaking and function as the hostess but it doesn't take long for the startled man to get intimidating Red Arrow the remote. Roy finds the Central News station with little problem. He's looked up how to keep in touch with his friend's cities without actually going to them well enough to know the channels for their news station up in Star city.

And Wally is certainly on Roy's list of friends. Hell, the kid is probably on everyone's list as a friend. He's just that type of person.

Roy is pretty sure he's forgotten how to breath when he sets his eyes on the screen. Wally West in the red suit as he is being congratulated by the police lieutenant though he doesn't seem to hear it. Captain Cold is being lead away in cuffs and there is a crowd forming to get a glimpse at the town's returned hero.

Roy wonders if they can tell it's not Barry, because he's pretty sure if Dick hadn't told him before hand he would have missed it. He's still having doubts. It's only been three weeks and Wally hasn't opened up to anyone but his family yet. Roy and Dick have always thought Wally couldn't survive without talking.

Then Iris West-Allen, a woman that could give Dinah a run for her money on strength, turns to look back at her nephew. And she cracks. Roy isn't surprised but at the same time he is. He hates seeing the woman that was always so kind to him whenever he visited to him hurting so bad. What's worst is he can't do anything to ease the pain. He can't do anything to ease her pain, Wally's pain, or even his own because Barry Allen is dead.

Iris drops the mic and bursts into tears. Wally, the Flash is besides her, holding her up as she cries before the mic is even close to the ground. When did he get that fast? Part of Roy's mind thinks at the same time he realizes how inmate the situation he's seeing is. Iris is clutching at the red fabric of Flash's suit lost in memory and realization and hurt. She probably doesn't even know where she is right now. Wally is gently holding her to his taller frame. Whispering something to her that only she can hear and refusing to let the tears fall.

The camera man that had been paired up with Iris seemed lost at what to do. He would slide the view from the pair to Justine Walker, another news reporter for another channel, before zipping back to Iris and Flash.

Roy clenches his fist and he's not as strong as Wally cause he can feel tears falling down his cheeks. God, what was wrong with the world? Barry didn't deserve to die. Iris didn't deserve to hurt. Wally deserved so much but not this.


	4. Team's Standing

**Title**: Stepping Up Past Expectation.  
><strong>Chapter<strong>: Four. _Team_.  
><strong>Word<strong> Count: 798  
><strong>Pairings<strong>: None.  
><strong>Summary<strong>: Three weeks after Barry's funeral Wally takes up the Flash mental with Iris' pushing.

* * *

><p>M'gann doesn't need Robin's call. She had been flipping through the channels with Conner besides her for quite some time now when she stumbles upon the Flash in combat with Captain Cold. She calls for the three training with Black Canary in the training room with her mind. She all but shouts. She knows they'll be feeling the strain on their minds for some time now but doesn't seem to find the emotion to care at the moment.<p>

Kaldur who has been staying on land since the incident, Artemis who had came over to the mountain early that day so that she could fight out her emotions, Zatanna, and Dinah come running in. They don't bother M'gann about the shouting in their minds. At the moment, they too, don't care.

Cause there on the screen is Wally West in the Flash uniform caring for his aunt as she breaks with Captain Cold in the back ground in the middle of being hauled away to jail. Yet, everyone on the street of Central seems frozen and shocked to see their returning hero in such a compromising situation with the news reporter that just lost her husband.

Justine Walker is torn between celebrating the Flash's return, feeling sorry for Iris' lost, and trying to find a juicy story in the scene before her. "_...is this a lover's return...a family reunion...did Flash know Iris' dead husband..._" She was fetching with some of her theories.

Conner wished she just shut up. She didn't know anything about what she was witnessing. She didn't deserve to be seeing such a moment. Conner certainly doesn't feel like he should be watching this.

M'gann is on the verge of tears. She's meet Iris before. She had a smile that lit up the room and cooking experience that she didn't mind sharing with the young martain. Oh and how one should have seen that smile on her face whenever the Flash entered the room. It was like the sun. She was so happy. Barry was so happy. Wally was so happy.

Kaldur can only think this woman's tears are his fault. He shouldn't have let Kid Flash run after Zoom. Should have had the team stay with him. But then he knows if the team had been with the speedsters there wouldn't be anything for them to do. Just like Robin hadn't been able to do anything but hope. He knows that Flash was already on the way when Wally ran off. It might have still happened. He knows this, but it was still on his watch, his call. He simply wished it didn't happen.

Zatanna misses her dad. She has a grasp the others don't on the scene before her. The hurt those two wonderful people are feeling. She wishes she can do something to help them but like Robin who has also suffered lost knows there is so very little for her to do.

Artemis is on the same lines of Roy. She can't understand why the world would kill off a man like the Flash, like Barry Allen. She can't understand why the world would hurt people like Iris and Wally and the League and Team like this when all they try to do is the right thing. Sometimes she hates the world.

Dinah wonders if any of the League has been to Iris house besides the funeral that was held for Barry Allen and wishes she had stopped by sooner. She's meant to but it was hard going to the house of a dead man. She wondered who was helping the woman stand. She hoped it wasn't just Wally. That she had someone else to help her, because Wally was hurt too and the wounded can only stand so tall.

Then Flash steps away from Iris just a moment prompting Iris to look up at him. "I'm not leaving. Remember that, Aunt Iris." The words are clear for the news cameras to catch and Dinah's heart stops. Wally knows better! He knows better...Dinah can't seem to move away from the screen.

When Iris nods a full minute later, Wally bends down to reach for her fallen microphone. He doesn't even pay any mind to Justine as she goes off on what he's stated. _"Iris Allen's nephew is the Flash! Flash called her Aunt Iris."_

Wally doesn't hand the mic to Iris like Dinah is praying he does but instead faces the cameraman that was paired up with Iris. He takes a glance at Iris, she's holding on to his arm with pause.

And then he removes his cowl.


	5. Barry's Standing

**Title**: Stepping Up Past Expectation.  
><strong>Chapter<strong>: Five. _Barry_.  
><strong>Word Count<strong>: 1,356  
><strong>Pairings<strong>: None.  
><strong>Summary<strong>: Three weeks after Barry's funeral Wally takes up the Flash mental with Iris' pushing.

* * *

><p>Wally understands exactly what he is doing. He knows he has his aunt's support. He knows his parent's don't approve. He knows Robin will think he's an idiot that put everyone he knows in danger. He knows Roy won't agree but understands it's his choice. He knows the team won't want to understand. He knows the League won't ever agree.<p>

And he just doesn't care because he knows Barry Allen will agree with whatever Wally truly thinks is right. Because Wally knows Barry Allen deserves this. The world should mourn their lost.

Iris squeezes his arm; her eyes on her wedding bands. "My name is Wally and I am not your Flash."

Some part of his supersped mind takes in the face that Justine isn't talking anymore. She's staring at the man before her. She's meet Wally West the small ten year old before. Her cameraman has focused in on Wally. The people on the street however is chirping madly at the information they are taking first witness to. The police in the background is discussing the possibility of having to arrest the vigilante. Captain Cold is silent taking in the information. It had never been personal between him and the Flash, but Wally was most differently not the Flash he had been fight for the past years.

"Many of you know the Flash, the man that wore this suit before me. But few of you new the man behind the mask. Barry Allen, my uncle, my mentor. And I think that needs to change."

And it did. Wally spent the next hour and a half spinning tales about his uncle. The cameras never left his face, the people on the street never moved in fact more people gathered, the police held firm around the holding car where Captain Cold watched through the small window in the back. Nothing happened. Everyone simply listened as Wally West, the man in the red suit talked.

He told them how Wally first meet Barry Allen at the West family reunion. The blond man had only been his aunt's boyfriend then but by the end of the night he had Wally calling him Uncle Barry much to Wally's parent's amusement and Iris' dismay. She hadn't been thinking about marriage before then.

He told them how a week later Wally was over at his aunt's place while his parent's were out of town. Iris hadn't stopped thinking about marriage and had asked the nine-year old what he thought of the subject. She was really lost and Wally was smart for his age. Wally told her that she should marry Barry without hesitation. Barry had chosen that moment to walk into the house and overheard. He laughed at the scene before him and smiled when Iris blushed. Barry ruffled Wally's hair glad to have the kid's blessing to marry his aunt. Wally explained how it was condescending in nature, how Barry was truly happy to have the small kid's blessing. Barry understood the importance of family.

He told them about how it was Barry the boy ran to when his parent's started fighting or when the punks at school started to pick on the science-whiz kid. Barry was his uncle at this point, a real grown up but he did his best to treat Wally as an adult. Taught him to make his own decision. He didn't talk down to the boy saying there are some things that kids won't understand about being married. That fighting was just part of it. No, he explained the situation to Wally the best he could. He never thought of Wally as weak for running from the bullies or bull-headed when Wally's mother told her sister-in-law and the woman's husband how Wally came home from school with a swollen lip and a detention notice. No, Barry simply explained how raising his fist should only be to protect himself or the people he loved. Barry taught him to love his family like no one else.

He told them how the Flash had always been his favorite superhero but if regular guys were included in the list Barry won every time. Wally laughed then, saying how this was a time when he didn't know about his uncle's alter ego. How every time he was asked to write a paper in school about _your hero_ Wally always chose Barry Allen. Barry was a hero is so many ways, most of which unknown to the small boy Wally used to be, but Wally could see greatness in the man and found himself blessed to call the man family.

He told them how Barry hadn't wanted a sidekick even after Wally gained his own powers. Wally left out exactly how he got his powers or even why. How much it scared Barry to have Wally out there with him in costume. How Wally all but stonewalled Barry into taking him on as a sidekick. How even though Barry felt bad about bringing the tween with him he trusted Wally or Kid Flash as he was known by. How Barry taught Wally without pause. How much patience the man must have had cause, god, a teen with superspeed. Wally wasn't sure how Barry survived much less his parents and his aunt.

He told them tales of Barry balancing family, work at the crime lab, and crime-fighting. How much work it was. How Barry always had time for Iris, how he made time for Wally.

He told them how Barry treated him like a son. How Barry wanted a child of his own one day. How Barry and his aunt had been hoping to start a family soon.

He told them tales from Iris' memory. How they meet. He was working on a case and Iris was covering the story. How she chased Barry around in hopes to get a lead. How he seemed to love the chase. How he proposed. The young couple had returned home from a dinner at the West's home lost in conversation about family on their way up to their bedroom when he stopped her at the bottom of the stairs. "You don't know how long I've waited to do this," And she didn't because she didn't know he was a speedster then and time for speedsters is so different, "but Iris West you are my family and I'd like to make that official." How Barry told her of his altar ego and how after that he came home close to tears because he hadn't been fast enough to save someone..

He told them who Barry Allen was, who the Flash was. He told them everything. His loving nature, warm smile. How he put family first and always seemed to find forgiveness. Wally told him how Barry grew up with his mother's lost and father's imprisonment. How that only made him a stronger person. How he got into forensics. How every case was personal.

And most importantly, Wally told them how Barry died in costume saving him, protecting the younger hero against a villain known as Zoom who had a personal agenda against the Flash from history books.

Wally explained how he's expected to take up the mantel of the Flash. How he wants to live up to Barry's legacy as a person and a hero. How he wants to protect everything Barry has left behind. How Barry loved the Twin Cities and it's people. He was the Flash, the hero, the person the people of this city fell in love with and Wally wasn't about to do anything against the city's backing. So here he was ending his speech by asking the city that Barry lived to protect if it wanted another Flash.

And then Wally placed the cowl back on. "Until an answer is made clear; I will protect this city to the best of my ability." Wally picked up his aunt bridle style and then was gone.

* * *

><p><strong>AN**: I got one (two?) ore chapters of this depending on if I cut the next one up or not. I hope people like where I'm taking this. As AbNaGbEyL pointed out I haven't covered all the bases of Barry's death like Jay's point of view, other adults within the League, and how Barry and Iris were suppose to have kids, so after I finish this I might go into those possibilities. Just FYI


	6. After Standing

**Title**: Stepping Up Past Expectation.  
><strong>Chapter<strong>: Six. _After_.  
><strong>Word Count<strong>: 683  
><strong>Pairings<strong>: None.  
><strong>Summary<strong>: Three weeks after Barry's funeral Wally takes up the Flash mental with Iris' pushing.

* * *

><p>To say League was in uproar was an understatement.<p>

Dinah and Red Tornado both left Mount Justice minutes after the airing stopped. They had been called to the Watch Tower. The five teens at the mountain was told to go home, go to their room by Dinah in a jumble of words as she tried to grasp her mind around what she just saw as she tried to stop the tears from rolling down her face.

Wally spent a good deal of time talking about Barry but there was so much more to the man. Wally knew that, Iris knew that, the Team and the League knew that.

The five teens, however, did not move from the couch as they watched the TV switch to a newsroom where the anchors looks shell shocked and watery eyed. The man they knew as the Flash was dead.

The Flash was dead and now Kid Flash wants the city's approval to take on the mantel.

Artemis was the first one to say something, to move. She jumped to her feet, throw her hands in the air before letting them drop on the top of her head, her fingers tangling themselves in her hair. A frustrated sound escaped her mouth as if she was torn between sobbing and yelling.

"Did Kid Flash really just do that?" It was Zatanna that made the first coherent sound. Her words seem to get lost in the air though. Artemis shut her eyes closed, tight. Kaldur was astonished. With his mouth open like that and his eyes wide he looked like a fish out of water. Conner's mind was processing the information but seemed to have difficultly accepting the conclusions. M'gann doesn't want to understand. She wants to accept Wally's decision as it is without know the consequences. She wants to, but it's so hard.

"Yes, yes he did." That's Artemis. Her eyes are still shut.

They only stir a moment later when Robin and Red Arrow appear. They're looking for Wally. They already check Wally's house which is empty due to his parent's leaving for Rudolph's other sister's home in Alabama. They wanted to be away from the after mass and a call from Robin to the two of them leaves them knowing Wally isn't there in Alabama. The two teen heroes had already stopped by Iris' house which is also empty, the Hall in D.C., while Batman and Green Arrow have confirmed that the new Flash was not in the Watch Tower. They've covered a lot of ground in a short amount of time in hopes of finding the boy on the verge of being a man.

"He hasn't came here?" Robin asks. He seems visibly shaken at this. He keeps running a hand through his hair and seems to get this expression of being lost on his face when the others take too long to answer as if he gets pulled into his thoughts when there is no sound.

"No." M'gann answers. "But we should find him. He is our friend. He'll need us." The others agree with nods of their heads.

Conner stands, determined to find his friend, the one that fulfilled on his promise of showing him the moon, the one that was hurting right now. "Then where do we start?"

"Central, Keystone. They towns too big to search alone. We only checked the two houses." Roy answers. His knuckles are still white. The only thing on his mind is finding Wally.

"He has Iris with him." Kaldur speaks catching all of their attention. "We are asking the wrong question. It isn't where would Wally go but were would Wally and Iris go? Where would Wally take his aunt?"

Robin seems to shut his eyes with realization, but he doesn't speak. He can't. Zatanna, though, she sees it too. Her words are once again light, daunting. "Barry Allen's grave."

And the team is off.


	7. Grave Standings

**Title**: Stepping Up Past Expectation.  
><strong>Chapter<strong>: Seven. _Grave_.  
><strong>Word Count<strong>: 1,199  
><strong>Pairings<strong>: None.  
><strong>Summary<strong>: Three weeks after Barry's funeral Wally takes up the Flash mantel with Iris' pushing.

* * *

><p>Wally gently sets Iris onto her feet in front of Barry's gravestone. His coffin under the freshly grown grass below their feet. Iris isn't crying in more. She's sobered up quite a bit. She looks away from the stone and places one hand on Wally's arm while she places the other on his cheek making him look at her. His green eyes are still hidden behind the white lenses of his cowl, but she knows its Wally. She isn't fooled this time.<p>

"He would be so proud of you, Wally." Her whispered words, so certain they sound, is carried by the wind.

The hero nods. "Thank you." And then a moment later he's pulled her into a hug hiding his face in the crock of her neck. "I'm so sorry, Aunt Iris. I'm sorry he's gone."

She ruffles his hair while returning the hug. "I know. I know, honey. I'm sorry he's gone too."

And they stood like that, the sun setting behind them in front of the grave of a man they love so much. They're still holding each other when the team shows up.

"Wally!" Robin shouts, leaving the rest of the team yards behind him as he rushes at the pair. When Wally pulls away from Iris to look up at the sound of his name he's surprised to see the team yet he's so relieved. He knows he needs them, missed them in his absent from the team.

Robin stops short from throwing his arms around his friend and the redheaded woman besides him. It doesn't take long before the others are behind Robin. "Wally..." Robin trails off and suddenly Wally feels guilty for not talking to him sooner.

The younger hero looks at a lost of what to do. He's torn between telling Wally he's an idiot, asking him what he was thinking, and hugging his friend. The memory of Wally clutching to Robin's shirt in that pasture weeks ago is still fresh in his mind.

Wally pushes an uneven smile onto his face. "Hey, Rob...guys?" And then M'gann pushes past Robin and the others to throw her arms around him.

"We missed you, Wally." She whispers into his ear. And he's sorry again for not stopping in at the mountain after Barry's funeral. He's sorry but he knows he really couldn't handle running like that.

"I missed you too, Beautiful." Wally looks over M'gann's shoulder, "I missed all you guys." Artemis steps up past Robin, looks like she wants to throw a punch and then wraps her arms around Wally and M'gann.

"You're so stupid, Baywatch. So stupid." She mumbles.

When Wally laughs, Iris can't help but smile. She hadn't heard him do that in a while. "I know I am, Arty. I know, but I had to do it. I don't know if you understand now or ever will but I had too."

With that M'gann and Artemis step back slightly, their eyes never moving from Wally. "I'm behind you Wall." Roy states with certainty. Wally was there when Roy left to be his own hero. With Wally's stunt he basically did the same thing. Roy will be there for Wally as Wally has been there for him. It's about time Roy get a chance to return the favor.

Kaldur looks to Conner and the two men seem to communicate something then turn to meet Wally's hidden gaze. "We as well will stand behind you, friend." Kaldur places a hand on Roy's shoulder significant their united stand.

"No matter what the League says." Conner adds with a rough tone. And Wally appreciates the meaning though he wishes it will never come down to the team picking between him and the League. He knows it probably will come to that though.

The man in red looks foreign to Zatanna. He looks like the Flash, Zatanna thinks, but he stands like Wally and speaks like Wally. She's having troubling really putting the two together. She wished he would take off the mask; it would make it easier. Yet even with the slight confusion Zatanna can see the man Wally is becoming and the hero he really is. And she smiles softly. Wally, the Flash has no problem returning it.

Robin can't see past the uniform. He can't see past how Wally just unraveled so much by telling the world his name, Barry's name. He can't see how this made Wally feel better. But he wants too. He wants to be there for his friend but the cowl is hard to dive past.

It's frozen him in place and stolen his tongue. He needs that hood removed though and Wally keeps glancing at him. Probably with superspeed so the others won't notice cause they don't seem to but Rob feels his friend's gaze. He tries to speak and once again he's astonished at how in sync the boys are because Wally doesn't waste time in removing the cowl from his head even though Robin can't seem to find the words.

And it's Wally standing in front of him. His best friend. Grieving and dealing the best way he can. The boy with red hair and a fresh smile. The boy that knew enough about him to wright a couple of books surrounding his life. The boy that has seen him cry, that he saw cry. The boy that cracks jokes and run laps because he could. The boy that loved being a hero. His best friend.

And Roy is right. The others are right. They'd stand together no matter what; they're a team. He grins, raises his hand. Wally returns the fist bump and smile. As their gloved hands touch, "Happy Birthday Wally." He pauses looking for the words. "The League is already up in arms about what you just did. And to tell you the truth I am too. But I'm with you Wally. I'll play this out with you." Robin didn't offer Wally a way out. The other hero was either going to do this with Robin at his side or not at all.

He'd spent nearly a month on his own with his grieving aunt. Wally needs more support. Iris needs more support. And Robin, the others have no problem stepping into being that support even without the Wests' blessing.

It looks like a weight seemed to drop off his shoulders, Wally seemed to stand a bit straighter, his smiles a bit more real. "Thanks guys. I mean it and I'm probably gonna need it."

He looks to sideways at Iris who looks considerably brightened at seeing how loved Wally is. She's not fool enough or delusional enough to believe that the team agrees with what Wally did - after all Robin plainly stated he didn't - but she sees the support they're giving and she can't hide the joy she's feeling at knowing Wally will never stand alone with friends likes these.

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><p><strong>AN:** So I think that's it for this story. I'll probably work on the League's reaction in a separate piece as well as Jay's. Iris and Barry's had kids in the comic so I might try and work that into a piece surround Iris without Wally, though I'm sure he'll be mentioned. Probably work on that piece first cause I actually don't know too much about Jay and the League is gonna be hard to write. Gotta figure out who to include and who not to.

However, I don't know when I'll get these done. I have lost my Flashdrive which is where I keep all my stories, typed up outlines as well as my school work, and it's driving me crazy! Its distracting not knowing where it is.

Besides those ramblings. I would like to thank all you guys again that have been reviewing, alerting to, or simply reading this and my other stories. I'm so thrilled over the fact you guys like the series I'm writing. I really enjoy writing Wally, and adore the Flash as a hero, so this is grand getting to write something I like and have other people actually like reading it. Haha, anyways, Thanks again!


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